Tuesday, July 22, 2014

First Few Days in the Mission Field!

Hi hi everyone!!

So Wednesday, after you last heard from me, we got our trainers and our areas!! The training program is 12 weeks, so my trainer and I will be companions for the next 3 months at least. She will only have one transfer left after that (6 weeks), so we will most likely be together here until she leaves on November.

Sacramento California Temple. We got to walk around it on the first day! We are able to attend the Temple 4 times a year.

Her name is Sister Parkinson, and she is from Boise, Idaho. She was born and raised in Minnesota, and they moved to Idaho only a couple years ago. She is my age, and did a year at BYU before coming out. We are serving in the Green Valley Ward in the El Dorado Stake, and the city is Cameron Park Area. It is about 30 minutes NE of Sacramento. She did her first 6 months in this area (but in the other ward), and there was a recent split of wards, so a lot of her old ward is our ward! (P.S. a ward is like a congregation...it is based on where you live). We are what you call "shotgunning," which means we are both new. It is known for being hard haha but at least she is familiar with the area from being here about a year ago! And she knows lots of people and people remember her!!

All of the new missionaries that I came out with. It was one of their biggest groups! I am the only new missionary in the El Dorado Zone.

She is so great! Very patient and loving. Not bossy or superior in any way. She teaches by example. She seems quiet at first, but she is so awesome at talking to people. I am so thankful to be with her! I think we will work great together. All the missionaries in the El Dorado area live with members. We are with a husband and wife now temporarily. The family we will be living with have their son at home from his mission because of surgery. He is going back out like next week so we will move in with them. I think they have a guest house for us. I like living with members because we are in a home and it is welcoming!

My companion (and trainer) Sister Parkinson! She is so awesome. I could not have asked for a better trainer.

The ward and area is great. I am shocked at how nice everyone is! The ward is very missionary minded....they have 12 out from their ward...holy cow!!! There are not many investigators in the area...I guess the whole zone is struggling right now. It is very residential...hilly...and beautiful. I love it!! It is not a development, where all the houses look the same. They are all unique and have tons of character. It is very green. The weather is perfect!! It is not too hot because we are in the hills. It is cool when we run in the mornings. The area is middle/upper class, so there are a lot of families.

Sister Kandare, Sister Campbell, and me with our trainers! We are the three Sacramento missionaries from our District in the MTC. I miss them already!

A typical day looks like this:

6:30 Wake Up/Run/Eat Breakfast/Shower

8:00 Personal Study

9:00 Companion Study

10:00 Training (Just the first 12 weeks)

11:00 Lunch (usually take a little power nap in that hour)

12:00-9:00pm Find people!! Visit Less-Actives, part member families, former investigators, etc. There is an hour of dinner in there too.

9:00 Plan for the next day

9:45ish Get ready for bed

10:30 Bed

The day is very structured and it is important to be obedient and on time.I have not been having trouble waking up, so that is good!

Here we are with our first assignments! They went to Cordova and Lodi and I went to El Dorado! I get to see them in about 5 weeks when they hold a new missionary meeting. They bring all the new missionaries together, so I am looking forward to seeing them soon!

I am not going to lie, I have been struggling. It is so hard. There are not investigators from before we got to the area, and we are having trouble finding. I know it is only the beginning. It is tough. Rejection is tough. But I am surviving, and I know when I rely on my Heavenly Father, He will take care of me. Everyone who knows me knows that I seem bold, but I am actually very sensitive and cry a lot. Hahah do not worry, I cry about everyday. I would not go right to saying that I am enjoying and loving life. I will adjust eventually, but I need to maintain faith and hope and keep pressing forward.

California Sacramento Temple

Here are some quotes that have helped me this week:

"Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we stand up, dust ourselves off, and stride forward."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"There are lives to brighten, there are hearts to touch, there are souls to save."

-Thomas S. Monson

I do not want to be depressing by any means, but I just want to share the reality that it is hard, and I am having a bit of a rough time, but I am just going to keep my head up and pray for miracles. I know Heavenly Father is preparing the hearts of people in this area to accept our message and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have printed off everyone's emails...so I will read them and mail letters back today!! I love you all!! I hope life is going well. Pray for me, and I will be praying for you all.

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Time Until I'm Home!

Sister Genevieve June Hickman

About Me

I am serving a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am serving in the California Sacramento Mission from July 2014-January 2016.

FYI

I will be able to check my email, which is listed above, once a week for one hour. You can also mail letters to the address below, and the Mission Office will forward them to me in whichever area I will be serving in during that time. I would love to hear from y'all!